


It Was Always You

by GlitternGlow



Series: Harry Potter Christmas Works [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Ministry event, Roommates, SO MUCH FLUFF, for a night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 22:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16819894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitternGlow/pseuds/GlitternGlow
Summary: Hotel roomies for a night. Oh how will our boys cope?





	It Was Always You

**Author's Note:**

> So Day 2 of the 25 days of Draco and Harry fest from LJ. Again thanks to Cissa for this one.

So Todays Prompt: Cuddles half naked in only a towel

The Ministry always rolled out these sorts of things around the Anniversary. All with a good cause, to help some orphans or some homeless but Harry hated that for the rest of the year they were almost ignored. Kingsley did the best he could, and Harry attended these things because as King put it- “People will come to see you, and pledge more to impress you.”- but Harry would always hate the simpering, and fawning just as he had growing up.

There was a small bell and a waiter stepped forward. “If I could have your attention? All those who will be staying the night please proceed to check in so that your bags can be taken upstairs. Thank you.”

There was a bustle then as everyone tried to go at once. Harry didn’t bother. Kingsley had booked him a room. It wouldn’t be going anywhere so he didn’t have to rush to get to it. Besides, it was nice to be able to breathe for a moment.

A young girl walked up to him and he forced a sincere smile onto his face as she stopped, but then she just handed him an unopened bottle and gave a short bow. “Mr Potter.” 

“Thank you,” he managed before he watched her walk away. He looked at the bottle and smiled as words drifted from the lid. 

_Thought you may be thirsty and I know you don’t drink open bottles._

He smiled, assuming it was from Ron or Hermione. They both knew he didn’t drink punch, or any other open beverage since he had been poisoned. He had spent a week near death’s door, and he didn’t relish doing it again.

He popped the top off and took a large gulp. There was no one around to see him now anyway because of course everyone was staying in the large Manor house.

“You must really like that beer Potter. I didn’t know if it would be mundane enough for your tastes.”

Harry looked to his left where Draco Malfoy had just appeared holding a very elegantly twisted glass of what Harry assumed was overpriced wine.

He nodded. “It’s good, but then Ron and Hermione always know…wait…you got this for me?”

Draco rolled his eyes, an action which got straight under Harry’s skin. And just like that he felt like he was back in high school. “You know what Malfoy, shove it,” he said pushing the beer into the blonde’s free hand. “You just ruined what was otherwise a nice gesture.”

He stalked off towards the reception area, it was always like this. They met at Ministry events, exchanged a few words, sometimes a conversation before one of them would do something stupid and the other would over react. He knew this time it was him, but he was so tired of it all. He might as well check in before the late-night dancing started and he probably wouldn’t have a chance. Draco caught his wrist before he made it two steps, the drinks now floating behind him.

“Potter, wait.” 

“What?” he turned, as he felt his wrist warm under Malfoys fingers. He was fed up of it. Of everything that happened during the war, all the hate from school. He just wanted to stop, to have quiet. 

He had tried once, but Ron and Hermione, as well as Andy and Teddy had convinced him to come back to civilisation. Malfoy let go of him and Harry missed the warmth. No one got near him now. ever.

Malfoy was smirking like he knew something Harry didn’t. He was about to turn and head off again when Malfoy held out his hand to Harry.

“Every time we meet we end up in a fight, I don’t want to fight anymore. I actually want to talk to you…Harry.”

Harry shook his head, the little frisson of….something that had gone through him when Malfoy said his name was enticing. But he looked up and Malfoy, no Draco now, had actually allowed his Malfoy mask to crack a little. Harry bit his lip, not giving Draco time enough to shore up his defences as he took the offered hand.

“Good, because I am so sick of fighting people I don’t have to, when I spend all day fighting those I do.”

Draco smiled then and it changed his whole face, brought back memories of watching him at Hogwarts. Maybe a little too much. But the smile lit him up and Harry couldn’t help but return it.

“I’m just going to check in. maybe we can talk later.”

“I’ll come with you,” he said as people began to trickle back into the hall.

They went out together, the Reception area had a few stragglers and two staff manning the desk while others took bags from the storage room to the rooms that people were staying in.

Harry and Draco went up to a staff member each.

“I’d like to check in please,” Harry said while he heard Draco say the same. The clerks tapped away on the keyboards and then in unison said

“That’s room R23, top floor….uhm,” they looked at each other as they realised they had spoken together. “There must be a mistake?” the young man said and looked to a woman in the back office. She came out immediately at the look on his face.

“Mr Potter, how nice to see you again, what appears to be the problem?”

Harry smiled, he liked Ms Winters. She was a nice lady and she always let him have the balls he wanted here for free when the cause was one he really advocated for. He didn’t get chance to say anything however as the clerk answered for him.

“It appears as if we…uhm…have a booking error.”

Ms Winters tutted. “Surely not, Mr Potter has been booked in for weeks Tom.”

Harry almost stopped his wince at the name but he was sure Draco saw it. It was unlike him, to be there without a word when the staff had made such a mix up. Then Harry met his eyes and he knew. He knew Draco was going to be cast out of the room to make way for him and he couldn’t take back the olive branch he had just offered. He was the Chosen One.

He heaved a sigh, rubbed his hand through his hair and stepped up to the desk again. “Ms Winters, its fine. We can share.”

“But Harry, it’s a King room…” she trailed off, her eyes darting to Draco. Harry shook his head.

“It’s…fine. I mean, Draco?” he used his first name, feeling the way it felt leaving his tongue and he wasn’t unhappy with it. His name seemed to startle Draco into action.

“Share? With you?”

Harry really was too tired for this, even if they were now not enemies not quite friends. even if really something at the back of his mind was telling Harry this was a good thing. That the little Hermione voice he thought of as his conscience was giggling like a school girl about how he always was obsessed with Malfoy, he may as well share a bed with him. He pushed the thoughts away, locked them behind an iron door. It was just the lack of sleep. That was it. In the last three days he had only slept for maybe four hours. 

“Yes, because I have to stay until the end to announce the prize winners, and I don’t want you to have to go home after what you’ve been drinking tonight.” 

He decided to be blunt, though from the look on Draco’s face he had said something wrong. Draco looked to the staff and nodded slowly. “That will be fine.”

Harry smiled again and turned to go back to the hall, slipping his keycard into his robe pocket.

“You watched how much I drank?”

Harry started. He really had to stop his mind wandering at these events. They could be dangerous. Harry blinked “What? Oh…yes. But only because you were stood looking sad in the corner.”

Draco blushed then and didn’t say anything else as they re-entered the hall. The dancing had begun and both Harry and Draco were involved in the group dances, until Harry excused himself at eleven thirty on the dot to announce the prizes. He was hoping to be in bed for midnight.

Draco of course caught him as he left the stage, “Might as well go up together.”  
“Shower and sleep,” was Harry’s reply and Draco made a face but nodded.

“Me too…you can…go first…I guess.”

Harry was leaning now against the wall of the lift, he thought of being sarcastic, snarky even but he didn’t. He nodded. “Thanks Draco.”

Draco looked away but Harry was sure he saw a blush rising up his perfectly pale cheeks. It seemed the Malfoy mask was not unbreakable after all. It gave Harry a warm feeling in his chest. But it vanished when they got to the room.

It was nice but Harry didn’t care. 

The bed loomed at him, like a monster in the closet. Except it was right there in the light. Telling him to climb in and just see if he could sleep any better here. With Mal-Draco. He shook his head and went over to his luggage, kicking off his shoes before he turned and stopped.

The view was breath-taking and he let out a small gasp as he looked across the skyline, the tall buildings and the windows lit up with lights.

He shook his head and went towards the bathroom. Draco could settle and choose whichever side of the bed he wanted before Harry was out. The water was in a word perfect, clearing away the days dirt and relaxing his muscles. He stayed maybe a little too long but the knock he expected never came.

Harry wrapped a towel around his waist and moved into the bedroom. Draco slipped past him without a word and into the bathroom. It didn’t matter, Harry would be alright with this. He had shared a bed with Ron and Hermione before, Fred once too. It didn’t mean anything.

He sat down, his hair curling slightly at his nape and around his ears and looked out of the large window over the city. It was strange that Draco was even here. Usually they only sent Ministry employees with nothing to do, not an Unspeakable as he was sure Draco was now.

He laid down, watching the lights twinkle throughout the buildings around them and thanked magic for the window being one way. He could just stare and think about nothing. He was so tired, Auror drills and public appearances were running him ragged and he still managed to make time for a weekly dinner at the Weasleys and to visit Andromeda and Teddy. The nightmares ravaged his sleep, and when he did get any it was broken and hardly restful. He wished sometimes he had moments like this one, where it was quiet and no one would disturb him.

The hum of the shower was soothing and despite being wet he felt himself dropping off to sleep without being able to stop it.

_The mist swirled around him and he ran. He knew what happened. He knew what was coming in this dream._

_The forest emerged, dark and foreboding. The trees larger and darker than they seemed in the light. And the clearing, the Death Eaters and Voldemort._

_The jeers surrounded him and he spun in a circle, his mind knew he need not escape. This was the fate he was born for. To die to defeat him. This is what Dumbledore trained him for._

_But the fear was no less. He may have looked brave but inside he was shaking, his throat closing as the wand raised and the words that haunted him were screamed  
_

“HARRY!”

He sat up, pushing the body off of him and sending out a spark of pure magic before he found himself leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. He was disorientated and breathing hard. 

“Wha- Where…..Draco?” he panted as he took in the mussed hair and wide eyes of the blonde.

Draco’s features softened. “You were having a nightmare….you still have them?”

Harry let out a breath, laying his head against the cool wood of the doorframe and half nodded. He didn’t need to say anything, he knew it was stupid and then…

“Me too….not often now but sometimes.”

Harry looked up. His emerald eyes were swimming in unshed tears. He had never let anyone see him cry. Not when he dreamt of torture, or when he saw Teddy with dead eyes staring at the sky, his body bruised and broken.

“I hurt you?” he asked breathless, gripping the doorframe tighter to ground himself. To ground his magic from reacting in fear. This was why he didn’t share his room…didn’t share his life with anyone. It was then, as Draco took a step towards him that he realised he was barely dressed…and Draco was the same.

He shook his head, his skin feeling stiff from not drying properly as Draco took another careful step towards him. he was taller now, Harry never getting a growth spurt like all the rest. Must be growing up in all the tight spaces. It didn’t matter. Draco was coming closer and Harry’s breath hitched as he felt arms gently wrap him from behind, one around his waist, the other around his shoulders and as his back met the warmth that was Draco’s chest he felt himself relax.

“Safe?” he breathed and felt the arms tighten slightly. He put his hand over Draco’s on his stomach and the other reached up to clasp the blonde’s forearm as he felt the nod behind him.

“Yes Harry. Safe.”

Harry almost collapsed then but Draco held fast, taking most of his weight as the smaller man leant back. “Thank Merlin,” he laughed out as his head fell to Draco’s shoulder. He didn’t feel awkward like this, in fact he felt completely and utterly safe. For the first time in a long time. He just wanted to sleep.

Draco held him for another few moments before he pushed slightly, not letting go but getting their feet moving. He tucked them into bed, towels their only cover and pulled Harry into him, letting his head rest on his chest as he slowly carded his fingers through the mess of black hair. It was so soft he could do it forever and Harry closed his eyes.

“Thank you,” he whispered and Draco hmm’d softly.

“Sleep Harry, I’ll keep the nightmares away.”

Harry forced his eyes open, tilted his head to catch Draco’s icy blue grey gaze and nodded. “Promise?” he asked, barely a breath letting the word leave his lips.

Draco smiled. “Forever,” Draco replied, and with a soft kiss to each eyelid as they closed, he let Harry fall into slumber.

“It was always you Potter. Everything was always you,” he added to the room before holding Harry closer and letting himself join Harry in slumber.


End file.
